What better way to live your life than by being thankful! Did you know that the KonMari Method can help you create more reasons to be thankful for?

Check out these "5 Ways of Being Thankful - The KonMari Way" and get inspired to attract more gratitude into your life!

1. Thanking our belongings – a guilt-free trip

In the KonMari Method, a very important step of the process is to thank our items before letting them go. According to Marie Kondo:

"When you come across something that you cannot part with, think carefully about its true purpose in your life. You’ll be surprised at how many of the things you possess have already fulfilled their role. By acknowledging their contribution and letting them go with gratitude, you will be able to truly put the things you own, and your life, in order. In the end, all that will remain are the things that you really treasure. To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose." (Marie Kondo)

When discarding an item, we decide that it should no longer be part of our life. But at the same time, we acknowledge that it once was part of our identity, and that is was important for us or meant something to us at some point in our past. With the KonMari “thank you items” ritual, we express gratitude towards our belonging for having us served so well until now.

One important side effect of this ritual is that it takes away the guilt we might feel when discarding “a perfectly fine” item or the one that “had cost a lot of money”, but which just does not spark joy in us, no matter how hard we try to make it work. Respectfully saying farewell to our things prevents us from feeling guilty about it.

2. Grateful for the insight – outlining your life vision

When applying the KonMari Method, not only do we thank our items for their service, but we are also grateful for the insight this process provides:

“The process of assessing how you feel about the things you own, identifying those that have fulfilled their purpose, expressing your gratitude, and bidding them farewell, is really about examining your inner self, a rite of passage to a new life.” (Marie Kondo)

Finding out what items spark joy and which ones can be let go means learning about who we really are at this point in our lives! Knowing who are you and most importantly, where you want your life to go is one of the most important insights a person can gain. Items from our past remind us of how we lived our life, what we valued and focused on at that time.

In a way, we are confronting our part in a healing and cathartic way. By focusing on belonging that spark joy, we are able to outline our life vision and determine where our journey should go and we can finally put ideas into action!

3. Thankful for new adventures – kick off your ideal life!

Creating physical space in your home leads to newly gained headspace. You might not realize it, but everything you surround yourself with takes up space in your mind, even subconsciously. Yes, maybe that stuffed animal your ex gave you and that you never really liked is hidden in the back of your closet, but it is still there. And believe it or not, it does take up space in your mind without you noticing it. That means people carry around a lot of unnecessary weight just by keeping items around that do not benefit them.

With those items gone, you are able to declutter your brain and gain tons of headspace that can be used for starting new projects, going after your ideas, finally embarking on that adventure you were always dreaming about, and generally making positive changes in your life. Thanks to the newly gained headspace, you can now anticipate and work towards your ideal life.

4. Everyday gratitude – look around you!

Applying the KonMari Method leaves us surrounded by things we love, value and appreciate. Imagine a space that makes you feel happy, no matter in which direction you look or which drawer or cupboard you open! Waking up to a beautifully decluttered and organized closet and bathroom cabinets can really influence your day. If you start and finish your day with things that spark joy, you surround yourself with happiness and gratitude.

“Many people carry this type of negative self-image for years, but it is swept away the instant they experience their own perfectly clean space. This drastic change in self-perception, the belief that you can do anything if you set your mind to it, transforms behavior and lifestyles.“ (Marie Kondo)

Imagine not only a space, but a life that sparks joy everywhere you turn!

5. Passing on the Joy

What to do with all the items you wish to discard? One certain way to gracefully part with them and spark joy in others and yourself is to donate them. Giving items to charity that do not serve a purpose for you any more means that someone else can enjoy them and get a lot of happiness out of them. By donating and passing on the idea of sharing and helping each other through good deeds, you become a creator of joy.